Did Regional Integration Save Democracy in Paraguay?

Did a Switch in Time Save Nine?∗

Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s court-packing plan of 1937 and the “switch in time that saved nine” animate central questions of law, politics, and history. Did Supreme Court Justice Roberts abruptly switch votes in 1937 to avert a showdown with Roosevelt? Scholars disagree vigorously about whether Roberts’s transformation was gradual and anticipated or abrupt and unexpected. Using newly collected ...

A Difference-In-Differences (DID) Analysis Of Financial Integration And International Trade In ASEAN+5

Iran’s Resistance Economy and Regional Integration

Iran’s ‘resistance economy’ is sometimes presented as defensive strategy. Despite Washington’s ‘New Middle East’ wars and the rapid evaporation of expected benefits from the long JCPOA (nuclear deal) process, a certain illusion remains that a general ‘normalisation’ with the outside powers might still bring economic benefits to the country. Nevertheless, it remains true that, while Iran is a la...

Did the 65 mph speed limit save lives?

In 1987, most states raised the speed limit from 55 to 65 mph on portions of their rural interstate highways. There was intense debate about the increase, and numerous evaluations were conducted afterwards. These evaluations share a common problem: they only measure the local effects of the change. But the change must be judged by its system-wide effects. In particular, the new 65 mph limit all...

Did the Swine Flu Save Lives? Evidence from Mexico

Diarrheal diseases are among the top causes of child deaths in developing countries. These diseases can be prevented by the simple act of handwashing with soap. However, the current literature shows that only programs with high monitoring are effective in changing behavior and improving health outcomes. These results have sparked interest in understanding the mechanisms through which changes in...